Cribbage board



June Hi 4- s. c. EDDY cxmsmm BOARD Filed Feb. 6, 1939 7 4 H H mm W i m EO T .V. y T V n o O o o 0 0mm A w mm m w w 1 0 0S o 0 0S 0 o o o o O O OO O O O O O 0 O O O O 0 OOOOO Patented June 11, 1946 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CRIBBAGE BOARD I Schuyler C. Eddy, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application February 6, 1939, Serial No. 254,877

This invention relates cribbage boards.

11 Claims.

to improvements in The main objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a novel cribbage board.

Second, to provide a cribbage board having novel provisions for aidingthe playing of the game by simplifying the scoring thereof.

Third, to provide a cribbage board characterized by a movable orindexable counter member making it possible to ascertain at all timesthe exact numerical score of a. player as represented by the position ofa counter peg thereon.

Fourth, to provide a board of the type de scribed which is simple inconstruction and ca pable of being rendered pearance.

Further objects relating very attractive in apto details and economiesof my invention will definitely appear from the description to isdefined in the claims.

A structure embodying follow. The invention the features of my inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the board of my invention, illustrating theposition of the pegs when not in use.

Fig. 2 is a side view th ereof, with the pegs in their position justprior to play.

Fig. 3 is a view of a counter member of the board in developed form,illustrating the arrangement of scoring and direction indicia thereonwith relation to the peg receiving holes therein.

Fig, 4 is an enlarged View in section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2,illustrating details of construction of the board and the manner ofmanipulating the counter members thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on a line correspondingto line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The present invention relates to a novel cribbage board havingprovisions therein for eliminating objections present in hitherto usedboards.

In scoring cribbage, it has been customary to employ a flat rectangulardred and twenty holes th of each player.

board having one hunerein, sixty for the use Inasmuch as a completegame.

dispute or disagreement.

Furthermore, it is a fact that on occasion a player will peg in theWrong direction on the conventional cribbage board and even when thepegging is pursued in the correct direction there sometimes arises aquestion as to whether a player has pegged the proper number of holesfrom his previous most advanced position in transferring from one row ofholes on the course to another. The aforesaid objections all tend toresult in confusion, inaccuracy, and argument. My device e1iminates allthese objections by making it possible to ascertain at a glance theexact position of each players peg on the course required to be peggedfor an entire game, without the necessity of either mental computationor reliance upon the memory of either player concerning the number ofrounds pegged. It permits an entire game to be scored without repetitionof the pegging procedure.

In general, my device consists of a pair of indexable counter members,rectangular in section and provided on the sides thereof with the pegreceiving holes. The counter members are in the form of elongatedelements mounted for indexing movement, as will be described, and thefour sides are adapted to rest successively on a suitable base insuccessive indexed positions thereof. This gives assurance that the sideof the counter member opposite the side which engages the base is alwaysautomatically disposed in proper horizontal position for pegging.Furthermore, this engagement of a side of the polyg onal counter memberwith a fiat base provides a stable support for the counter member duringpegging, which prevents inadvertent displacel ment thereof.

Further features of my invention reside in the disposition of thecounter members of the board relative to one another, whereby to providemeans for retaining the pegs between the members when the board is notin use, thus eliminating the necessity for a special container for thepegs, such as is required in the usual cribbage board construction,likewise in the fact that the pegs themselves constitute suitable meansfor indexing the counter members when a side thereof has been pegged andit is desired to bring a successive side into peg receiving position.

Referring to the drawing, the reference nu- The end pieces are roundedat their front and rear extremities for the purpose of reducing thelabor or skill required to fit the same properly relative to thetransverse dimension of the base. These end members or pieces arevertically slotted at throughout a portion of their height asillustrated in Fig. 5, to receive trunnions or pins 5 carried bytheelongated counter members or blocks 6. These counter members aresquare in section and the pins are inserted or driven centrally in theends thereof.

Slot 1 is of sufficient length to permit turning or tumbling of thesquare counter members about the trunnion pins 5 while indexing the samein the manner to be described. It will be appreciated that the pins 5rise and fall as rotational indexing movem nt is imparted to thecounters and the slots 1 should be of sufiicient length to permit thisrise and fall with someth ng to spare so that ready and frictionlessmanipulation of the counters is possible. In play, the counter membersare indexed onequarter of a revolution to bring a successive sur face tohorizontal pegging position. This indexing movement is a combinedmovement of vertical translation and of rotation, since the pins 5 risein the guide slots to permit clearance of the angles or edges of thecounter members while the latter are rotated for indexing.

I lrc to point out that the polygonal and preferably square section ofthe counter members in combination with the fiat top of base 2 insuresthat after each indexing movement of a counter member the upper sidethereof will be in proper horizontal position for pegging and thecounter member will be provided with a very stable support to preventinadvertent displacement thereof, notwithstanding the rotatablecharacter of its mounting. This I regard as a salient feature of myinvention.

Each side surface 7 of the elongated counter members is provided with arow of thirty peg receiving holes or recesses 8 arranged in groups offive and adapted to receive round pegs 9. The holes are preferablyofl'set from the longitudinal center of the surface I to permit thedisposition on the latter of suitable indicia, for example, the arrowsit designating the direction in which egging to be performed on eachsurface and also permitting the impression of designations of the pointsfor starting and completing pegging for ach round, such, for example, asthe words, Start and Home. Intermediate the last amed designations inthe course of pegging up d down the successive sides I of the counter-Jer, appropriate score indicating numerals, for example, 30, 60, and90, designating the numerical score on the completion of the pegging ofeach side, preferably arranged.

Ihe indicia referred to above may be formed on the surfaces '5 in anydesired manner, i. e. by surface printing, stamping, inlaying, or in anyother suitable manner, depending upon the quality of workmanship desiredin the finished product. The end pieces 3 may be apertured at 2 desiredto receive the pegs prior to commencement of pegging.

e., when a meml as neared the end or" a given row of holes one side andwhen his next play scores sufntly to advance his peg to a succeedingside, oerely grasps the previous most advanced peg swing the countermember in clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, tothe position indicated in dotted lines in that figure, the axis of thecounter member rising while the member rotates through 45, then fallinguntil the succeeding side I is disposed upwardly for pegging.

In play, the pegging proceeds from the position marked Start in thedirection of the arrow toward the position marked 30. When the firstside has been pegged, the counter member is indexed as described andpegging proceeds in the reverse direction on the succeeding side, asindicated by the arrow thereon, toward the position marked 66, and so onon succeeding sides until a player has pegged past the last hole, whenthe game is over. In the Well known type of single surface Cribbageboard, such a complete course of pegging requires that two rounds bepegged, with the attendant disadvantages referred to above. My board,however, eliminates this by enabling a single round of pegging to scorean entire game, and, in addition, enables each player to ascertain theexact position of his own and his opponents peg at any time, and toascertain exactly how many holes he or his opponent has pegged from hisprevious most advanced position. It should be noted that the transversespacing of counter members 6 on base 2 is such that it is possible torotate or index counter members inwardly relative to the board, i. e.,in a direction opposite to the intended direction of rotation in play,whereby the pegs 9 may be disposed between the two counter members 6when the board is not in use. Being inserted in holes 8, the pegs areretained from accidental displacement since the spacing of members 6will not permit withdrawal of a peg from its hole when between themembers. In order to prevent inadvertent sliding of the pegs across thespace between the counter members and into an alined hole in the othermember, thus locking the mem bers against turning movement, enlargedheads lb may be provided for the pegs. In addition, these enlarged headsadd to the ease of manipulating the pegs in play.

It will be observed that if the above described procedure of tumbling orrotatively indexing the counter members by means or the pegs is followedit is impossible to hold on to a peg and at the same time actuate thesame in improper direction. The players fingers will strike the oppositecounter member 6 and prevent the proper full indexing movement.Likewise, the counter members obviously cannot be indexed by the pegsmore than 90 in either direction.

It will be observed that in the preferred em bodiment the two countersof each board are identical in the disposition of the holes 8 and theindicia H thereon, thereby considerably reducing the cost of productionof the same. The counters are, however, disposed oppositely on the base2 with regard to the direction in which the pegging proceeds therealong.This facilitates the use of the board by a pair of players facing oneanother across a table.

My invention is not limited to all the above described specific detailscontributing to the preferred combined rotational and translationalmovement of the counter members in shifting thereof, but, on thecontrary, resides broadly in the provision of a counting board forcribbage having rotatably shiftable or indexable counter membersenabling the progress of the game to be ascertained readily, quickly,and accurately at all times.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in an embodiment whichis very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe otherembodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enablethose skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may bedesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A counting board for cribbage, comprising a base, a pair of endmembers on said base having vertically extending guides, and a pair ofcounter members provided with trunnions slidably guided by said guides,said counter members being rotatable about said trunnions as an axis andhaving a plurality of sides provided with counting holes adapted toreceive a counting peg, the lowermost side of a counter member restingon said base in use to stabilize the counter member during pegging ofanother side thereof, said trunnions rising and falling relative to saidbase during rotation of the counter members during indexing ofsuccessive sides to pegging position.

2. A counting board for Cribbage, comprising an elongated base having apair of counter members normally resting on said base in use, saidcounter members having a plurality of sides, and means for mounting saidcounter members on said base for rotation to index successive sides topegging position and for bodily translation during said rotation topermit rise and fall of the axes of the counter members relative to thebase, said counter members having a plurality of counting holes on thesides thereof adapted to receive a counting peg, said counter membersbeing adapted to be rotatably indexed following completion of thepegging of each side thereof to present a successive side to be pegged,another of said sides resting on said base to provide a stable supportfor the counter member.

3. A cribbage board comprising an elongated base having a fiat top, apair of end members on said base provided with rounded extremities tofacilitate assembly thereof on said base, said end members beingpositioned on and secured to opposite ends of said base and havingelongated vertically extending guide ways on the respective inner sidesthereof, and a pair of elongated counter members of polygonal crosssection disposed between said end members and having trunnions slidableand rotatable in said guide ways, whereby the counter members areadapted to be rotatively indexed relative to the base to successivepositions with a side of the counter members resting on said fiat topand with another side thereof operatively disposed for pegging, saidelongated guide ways enabling the counter members to rise and fallrelative to the base during said indexing, said counter members eachhaving a longitudinally extending row of holes on each side thereofadapted to receive pegs in pegging, and being manipulated in oppositerotative directions by manipulation of one of the pegs in a holetherein, whereby to dispose the counter members with a succeeding sideto be pegged facing upwardly, the counter members being laterally spacedrelative to the base to permit disposition of the pegs in the spacetherebetween with the pegs inserted in holes on mutually facing sides ofthe counter members, whereby the pegs are retained from inadvertentdisplacement during non-use of the board.

4. Counting apparatus for cribbage comprising an elongated base having afiat top, a pair of end members positioned on and secured to oppositeends of said base and having elongated vertically extending guide wayson the respective inner sides thereof, a pair of polygonal countermembers disposed between said end members and having trunnions slidableand rotatable in said guide ways whereby the counter members are adaptedto be indexed rotatively to successive positions with a side of thecounter mem-- bers resting on said flat top and another side thereofoperatively disposed for pegging, said counter members shiftinglaterally in said guide ways during indexing, said colunter members eachhaving a longitudinally extending row of holes on each side thereof, andpegs insertable in said holes in pegging, said counter members beingmanipulated for indexing in opposite rotative directions by manipulationof one of the pegs in a hole therein and being spaced laterallysufficiently to permit disposition of the pegs between the countermembers and in certain of the holes when the apparatus is not beingused.

5. Counting apparatus for cribbage comprising an elongated base having aflat top, a pair of end members positioned on and secured to oppositeends of said base and having elongated vertically extending guide wayson the respective inner sides thereof, a pair of polygonal countermembers disposed between said end members and having trunnions slidableand rotatable in said guide ways whereby the counter members are adaptedto be indexed rotatively to suecessive positions with a side of thecounter mem bers resting on said flat top and another side thereofoperatively disposed for pegging, said counter members shiftinglaterally in said guide Ways during indexing, said counter members eachhaving a longitudinally extending row of holes on each side thereof, andpegs insertable in said holes in pegging, said counter members beingmanipulated for indexing in opposite rotative directions by manipulationof one of the pegs in a hole therein.

6. Counting apparatusfor cribbage, comprising a base, a pair of countermembers having rows of longitudinally extending holes, means formounting said counter members for rotative indexing of the countermembers relative to the base to expose successive rows thereof forpegging, and pegs adapted to be inserted in said holes in pegging, saidpegs providing means for manipulating the counter members to index thesame, said counter members being laterally spaced on the basesufiiciently to permit disposition of the pegs in certain of said holesand between the counter members when the board is not in use, therespective holes of said counter members being longitudinally alined andsaid pegs having heads of larger cross section than said holes toprevent engagement of a given peg in more than a single hole.

'7. A cribbage board comprising a counter member and supporting meanstherefor comprising a. base and a pair of end members, said countermember being rotatably and floatingly mounted in said end members forrotatable indexing movement and having rows of holes therein adapted toreceive counter pegs to indicate the progress of the game, said countermember being indexed in use to bring the rows successively to peggingposition.

8. A counting device for cribbage, comprising a base, a counter membernormally resting against said base in use, said counter member having aplurality of rows of locating provisions thereon engageable by countingelements to indicate the progress of the game, and means for mountingsaid counter member on said base for bodily movement and rotation toindex said rows successively to counting position, said counter memberhaving a plurality of sides successively engageable With the base in useand conformed to provide a stable support for the counter mem beragainst the base in counting.

9. A counting device for cribbage, comprising a base, a counter membernormally resting against said base in use, said counter member havingaplurality of rows of locating provisions thereon engageable by countingelements to indicate the progress or the game, and means for mountingsaid counter member on said base for rotation to index said rowssuccessively to counting position, said counter member having aplurality of sides successively engageable with the base in use andconformed to provide a stable support for the counter member against thebase in counting.

10. A counting device for cribbage, comprising a support including abase and a pair of end members, a counter member having a plurality ofsides provided with locating provisions thereon engageable by countingelements to indicate the progress of the game, said sides beingconformed to provide a stable support for the member relative to thesupport, one of said sides res-ting on the base during counting onanother side, and means for floatingly mounting said counter member insaid end members for rotative indexing movement whereby to enable saidrows to be indeXed successively to counting position, said floatingmounting permitting the counter member to rise and fall relative to thesupport during indexing.

11. A counting board for cribbage, comprising a support having asupporting surface and vertically extending guide means, a pair ofcounter members means for rotatably mounting said counter members onsaid support comprising trunnions for the counter members slidablyengaging said guides, said counter members having a plurality of sidesprovided with counting holes adapted to receive a counting peg, thelowermost side of a counter member resting on the sup porting surface inuse to stabilize the counter memher during pegging of another sidethereof, said guides guiding said trunnions for rising and fallingmovement during rotation of the counter members during indexing ofsuccessive sides to pegging position.

SCHUYLER C. EDDY.

